Eraser (1996)

A Witness Protection specialist becomes suspicious of his co-workers when dealing with a case involving high-tech weapons.

Director:

Chuck Russell (as Charles Russell)

Writers:

Tony Puryear (story), Walon Green (story)

Stars:

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Vanessa Williams, James Caan

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	U.S. Marshal John 'The Eraser' Kruger
James Caan	...	U.S. Marshal Robert DeGuerin
Vanessa Williams	...	Lee Cullen
James Coburn	...	WitSec Chief Beller
Robert Pastorelli	...	Johnny Casteleone
James Cromwell	...	William Donohue
Danny Nucci	...	WitSec Deputy Monroe
Andy Romano	...	Undersecretary of Defense Daniel Harper
Nick Chinlund	...	WitSec Agent Calderon
Michael Papajohn	...	WitSec Agent Schiffer
Joe Viterelli	...	Tony Two-Toes
Mark Rolston	...	J. Scar
John Slattery	...	FBI Agent Corman
Robert Miranda	...	Frediano
Roma Maffia	...	Claire Isaacs

Storyline

U.S. Marshal deputy John Kruger is one of the toughest Marshals, his methods are to "Erase" The identities of his witnesses he is assigned to protect. Meanwhile, a woman named Lee Cullen who works for a corporation named Cyrez performed an undercover job for the FBI to unveil a top secret weapon which uses an electromagnetic pulse to dispatch targets. Cyrez discovered this about Lee and are now out to kill her, Kruger's job is now to protect Lee so she can testify against Cyrez. But, when Kruger was assigned to perform a job with another Marshal named Robert Deguerin, he discovers that Deguerin is behind some kind of scam that will involve the EM Gun, which will change hands to a Russian criminal if Kruger does not stop them, Kruger must not only protect Lee's life but his own.

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Plot Keywords:

witness protection program | rogue agent | fbi | treason | railgun | 

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Taglines:

He will erase your past to protect your future.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violent action throughout and some language

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 June 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Eraser

Filming Locations:

Santa Clarita, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$100,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$24,566,446, 23 June 1996

Gross USA:

$101,295,562

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$242,295,562

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kopelson Entertainment, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

115 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS DTS Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alan Silvestri's score in this is similar to his score for Judge Dredd (1995). Coincidentally, Arnold Schwarzenegger was considered for the role of Judge Joseph Dredd before Sylvester Stallone was cast.

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Goofs

When trapped by the glass door in the weapons building, Kruger stops firing because the bullets are ineffective, not because he has run out. Therefore, a later shot at the sprinkler system without reloading is reasonable.

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Quotes

John: Don't move. You're dead.

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Alternate Versions

28 seconds were cut by the BBFC for the 18-rated UK cinema version, removing the following:

• The scene with Johnny C being threatened with a flick knife, along with the attempt to pull his tongue out with pliers
• Kruger kicking a gangster into an open fridge and pulling his shoulder to break his neck
• DeGuerin's pistol whip to Lee
• Kruger twisting Haggerty's head into a headlock then breaking his neck
• A shot of Lee being threaten by Sergei Ivanovich Petrofsky with a flick knife

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Connections

Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Ways Arnold Schwarzenegger Can Kill You (2016)

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Soundtracks

That's Amore
Written by Jack Brooks and Harry Warren
Performed by Dean Martin
Courtesy of Capitol Records
Under license from EMI-Capitol Special Markets

User Reviews

Typical shoot-'em-up

This is a completely typical, and unbelievable, action film - all the sophisticated weaponry they throw at him can't give Arnold Schwarzenegger more than a broken arm. Nonetheless, very good viewing for those times when you are tired, and want to put your brain into neutral.